Panel with elongated stiffening beam at panel edge



J 1966 G. H. o. JUNGBLUTH ETAL 3,

PANEL WITH ELONGATED STIFFENING BEAM AT PANEL EDGE Filed Sept. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wyn/rap GOERG HEINRICH OTTO JUNGBLUTH J1me 1966 G. H. o. JUNGBLUTH ETAL 3,

PANEL WITH ELONGATED STIFFENING BEAM AT PANEL EDGE Filed Sept. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fwd Ma Wyn/r09 F/ 5 GEO/es HEINRICH OTTO JUNGBLUTH June 21, 1966 G. H. o. JUNGBLUTIH ETAL 3,256,657

PANEL WITH ELONGATED STIFFENING BEAM AT PANEL EDGE Filed Sept. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 GEOQG HEIAIIEICH- OTTO JUNGBLUTH June 1966 G. H. o. JUNGBLUTH ETAL 3,256,667

PANEL WITH ELONGATED STIFFENING BEAM AT PANEL EDGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 12, 1962 United States Patent 3,256,667 PANEL WITH ELONGATED STIFFENING BEAM AT PANEL EDGE 4 Georg Heinrich Otto Jungbluth, Fraukensteinerstrasse 99, Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany, and Kurt Kloeppel, Dieburgstrasse 183, Darmstadt, Germany Filed Sept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,122

Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 5, 1962,

Claims. (Cl. 52-497) of space.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated structural unit of the just outlined character- 'istics which is reinforced in the longitudinal as well as in the transverse direction thereof when its component parts are assembled to form a flooring or roofing construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structural unit which is constructed and assembled in such a way that all or nearly all of its material is disposed in zones which must take up the major part of stresses when the unit is in actual use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a composite structural unit whose component parts may be of different thickness so that the unit is reinforced in such sections thereof which are expected to take up maximal stresses.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structural unit consisting of a reinforced panel and of a stiffening beam whose panel is constructed and configurated in such a way that its resistance to buckling exceeds several times the resistance of panels utilized in conventional structural units of which we have knowledge at this time.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing component parts of structural units which exhibit the above outlined characteristics.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a structural unit for roofing or flooring constructions which comprises a reinforced rectangular panel preferably consisting of a single sheet of cold-formed sheet steel and a stiffening beam which is rigidly welded or glued to one longitudinal edge portion of the panel. The panel is formed with a plurality of spaced elongated depressed or raised reinforcing ribs which are parallel with the transverse edge portions thereof and whose spacing is less than the length of a single rib. In its preferred form, the stiffening beam comprises a comparatively high web consisting of a single ply of sheet steel, an upper flange which is welded or otherwise bonded to one longitudinal edge portion'of the panel, and a lower flange which preferably comprises several plies and which may come to rest on spaced purlins or similar supporting means when the structural unit of our invention is assembled with one or more similar units to form a skeleton roofing or flooring construction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof,

3,256,667 Patented June 21, 1966 ice will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rectangular reinforced panel forming one part of a structural unit which may be utilized in flooring constructions;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the panel as seen in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an elongated stiffening beam forming the other part of the structural unit;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a different rectangular panel forming one part of a modified structural unit I which may be utilized in roofing constructions;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the panel as seen in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is another end view of the panel as seen in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an end view of an elongated stiffening beam which, with the panel of FIGS. 4 to 6, forms the modified structural unit;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a skeleton flooring construction which comprises a series of structural units with panels and beams of the type shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a skeleton roofing construction which comprises a series of structural units with panels and beams of the type shown in FIGS. 4 to 7; and

FIG. 10 is a greatly enlarged detail end view of a joint between two panels and a beam in the roofing construction of FIG. 9.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a flat rectangular panel A which consists of a single sheet of metallic material, preferably cold-formed band steel, comprising two flat longitudinal edge portions in, 111, two fiat transverse edge portions 1c, 1dand a series of spaced depressed elongated hollow reinforcing ribs 1 which are parallel with the transverse edge portions and whose spacing is less than the length of a single rib. As a rule, the distance between two adjacent ribs is preferably not more than one-fourth of the length of a single rib and not less than the combined width of two ribs. The longitudinal ends of the ribs 1 are adjacent to but spaced from the longitudinal edge portions 10, 1b, and each such longitudinal end merges gradually into the general plane of the panel A. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the ribs 1 project beyond the underside of the panel A because this panel forms one part of a structural unit which is to be utilized in a flooring construction of the type shown in FIG. 8.

The other part of this structural unit comprises an elongated stiffening beam B which is manufactured separately and which comprises an elongated comparatively high web 2- consisting of a single ply of sheet steel stock, an upper flange 4 which is integral with the upper longitudinally extending marginal zone of the web 2, and a lower flange 3 which is integral with the lower longitudinally extending marginal zone of the web 2. The upper flange 4 is disposed in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the web 2, and this flange comprises a marginal portion 5 which is bent downwardly into substantial parallelism with the web.

When the panel A and the beam B are assembled to that of the beam B. The upper flange 4 of the beam B is connected with the longitudinal edge portion 1a of the panel A and with the longitudinal edge portion 111 of a third panel A" which forms part of a third structural unit. It will be readily understood that the width of the skeleton flooring construction shown in FIG. 8 may be increased by adding any desired number of structural units. The left-hand edge portion 1b of the panel A is welded to the upper flange 4" of a further stiffening beam B".

The sheet material of the panels A, A, A and of the beams B, B, B is preferably galvanized so that it comprises a coating of zinc which resists corrosion and protects the material of the structural units. If desired, the panels A, A, A may be coated with a suitable corrosion-resistant plastic substance in addition to or as a substitute for the zinc coating.

While it is possible to utilize the same gauge of sheet steel for both component parts of each structural unit, it may be advisable to utilize for the beams a sheet stock whose thickness exceeds up to two-and-one-half times the thickness of a panel. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower flanges 3, 3, 3" of the respective beams B-B" rest on and may be secured to purlins C (only one shown).

The length of staggered seams preferably exceeds the length of seams which are formed by so-called spot or tack welding, and FIG. 8 shows that the sea-ms 10 connecting the upper flange 4 of the beam B to the edge portion 1a of the panel A simultaneously connect the flange 4 with the left-hand edge portion 1b of the panel A. The same applies for the seams 10 which connect the upper flange 4 of the beam B with the edge portions 1a, 1b of the panels A, A, respectively. The welds 10, 10 may form two continuous seams which extend through the full length of the respective structural unit.

The width of the upper flange 4 normally equals between one-third and one-tenth of the width of the web 2, and the width of the lower flange 3 may about onethird the width of the web.

FIG. 4 illustrates another flat rectangular panel D consisting of a single sheet of steel which may be galvanized and/or plastic-coated to prevent corrosion in the same Way as described in connection with FIG. 8. The longitudinal edge portions 101a, 101b of the panel D comprise downwardly extending elongated flanges 107a, 1071) which are bent into planes that make right angles with the general plane of the panel D and each of which comprises a multi-ply marginal zone 107A, 107B, these marginal zones 'being formed by bending the material of the respective flanges over itself in a manner as shown in FIG. 5. The transverse edge portion 101a of the panel D is also provided with a downwardly bent flange 1070 whose marginal zone 107C again comprises two plies of sheet material, see FIG. 6. The other transverse edge portion 101d comprises a U-shaped flange 107d having a longtitudinally extending channel or groove 108 whose open side faces upwardly, i.e., to the right, as viewed in FIG. 6, and which may accommodate the flange 1070 of an adjacent panel, not shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

The raised hollow reinforcing ribs 101 of the panel D are parallel with the transverse edge portions 1010, 101d and extend beyond the upper side of this panel because the latter forms part of a structural unit which is utilized in roofing constructions of the type shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The other part of a structural unit which utilizes the panel D consists of an elongated stiffening beam E which is shown in FIG. 7 and which comprises an upstanding web 102 consisting of a single ply of sheet steel stock and having its upper longitudinally extending marginal zone integral with an upper flange 104 which is deformed in such a way that it defines a comparatively wide upwardly opening channel or groove 109 extending through the full length of the beam E. The lower flange 103 of the beam E is integral with the lower longitudinally extending marginal zone of the beam E, and it will be noted that this lower flange is a composite structure comprising two flanges disposed at the opposite sides of the web 102. The flange 103 is formed by bending the sheet metal stock of the beam E longitudinally at right angles to the web 102. to obtain an upper ply of the left-hand flange and then back upon itself along the underside of the upper ply to obtain a lower ply which is common to both flanges. The free edge portion of the lower ply is then bent back upon itself to terminate at the right-hand side of the web, as viewed in FIG. 7, and to constitute the upper ply of the right-hand flange. Such construction of the lower flange 103 is of advantage because this flange then presents a flat underside which rests on the upper flanges of purlins F one of which is shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, it will be noted that the groove 109 of the upper flange 104 forming part of the stiffening beam E receives the right-hand flange 107a of the panel D and the left-hand flange 107b of an adjacent second panel D which forms part of a second structural unit including a stiffening beam E having an upper flange 104 with a groove 109 for the flange 107a of the panel D and for the flange 1071) of a third panel D". The connecting means for the structral units of the roofing construction of FIGS. 9 and 10 consists of a suitable adhesive substance 111 which at least partially fills the grooves 109, 109' and which provides a very strong permanent bond between the panels and the respective beams. As shown in FIG. 10, the multi-ply marginal zones 107A, 107B of the flanges 107a, 107b extend upwardly and are concealed by a bead 111a of adhesive 111 so that the adhesive actually fills the groove 109 all the way to the upper sides of the panels D, D. The connection between the beam E and the panels D, D is established in identical manner.

In FIG. 9, the flanges 1070 (as illustrated in FIG. 6) and the corresponding flanges of the panels D, D are not shown so as to reveal the connections between these panels and the respective beams. The flange 107c enters the groove 108 of an adjacent panel, not shown, which is arranged end-to-end with the panels D in the event that the length of the roofing construction should exceed the length of a single panel. The groove 108 is then filled with an adhesive substance in the same way as shown in FIG. 10.

The length of panels D, D, D and the beams E, E, E may equally or even exceed 30 feet. The multi-ply marginal zones 107A-107C are of advantage because they stiffen the panels in the longitudinal directions thereof when the panels are stacked in storage or during transfer to a building structure.

When say the panel D is assembled with panels D, D and with two additional panels (not shown) which are respectively adjacent to the transverse edge portions 101c, 101d of this panel, all four edge portions 101a-101d have a tongue-and groove connection with the adjacent stiffening beam and/or'panels. Thus, the flanges of the longitudinal edge portions 101a, 101b respectively extend into the grooves 109, 109; the flange of the edge portion 1010 extends into the groove of the transverse edge portion forming part of a first panel which is in endto-end alignment with the panel D, and the groove in the flange of the edge portion 101d receives a flange forming part of the transverse edge portion (such as the portion 1010 or 101c) on a second panel which is placed end-to-end with the panel D.

The introduction of adhesive into the grooves 109, 109, 108 etc. preferably takes place before the respective flanges are received in such grooves. The advantage of joints which utilize an adhesive substance is that the adhesive forms a fluidtight seal between the adjacent edge portions of the panels which is of particular advantage when the structural units of our invention are utilized in roofing constructions. Consequently, the structural units may be assembled in 'such a way that the panels D, D, D", etc. are disposed in horizontal planes. It has been found that a proper adhesive will provide a bond which is strong enough to resist all such stresses which arise when the structural units of our invention are put to actual use.

The thickness of steel stock utilized in the manufacture of beams E, E, E" preferably exceeds l.52.5 times the thicknes of the panels D, D', D".

An important advantage of a two-part structural unit whose component parts are manufactured separately is that the panels may be stored or transported in stacks which occupy much less space than if the panels were welded to stiffening beams at a point other than the locale of actual use. The same applies to the beams which may be stored or transported in small areas and are assem bled with the panels only at the locale of use. Moreover, since it is often necessary that the beams take up very high stresses exceeding several times the stresses acting upon the panels, the material of the beams may be thicker than the material of the panels. When the structural unit of our invention is utilized in flooring constructions, such as the ceilings of apartment and oflice buildings, the thickness of the stock of which the beams B, B, B" consist preferably exceeds the thickness of the panels.

Up to a certain value, the stiffness (i.e., the resistance to buckling) of the panels is inveresly proportional with the distance between the adjacent ribs 1 or 101. Thus, if the spacing between a pair of adjacent reinforcing ribs equals the length of a single rib, the resistance to buckling or blistering assumes a value k=4. However, if the spacing between the adjacent ribs is reduced to about onetenth of the length of a single rib (a distance which is within the scope of our invention), the value k rises to 11, i.e., the resistance to buckling increases nearly three times which is of great advantage in flooring or roofing constructions. 7

By looking at FIGS. 1, 4, 8 and 9, it will be noted that the panels of our structural units are of the so-called orthogonal-anisotropic characteristics, i.e., they exhibit high resistance to bending or buckling in the transverse directions thereof and they are assembled with the stiffening beams and with each other in such a way that they offer high resistance to torsional seresses in the longitudinal direction thereof. In other words, while the ribs 1 or 101 insure that the panels are reinforced in directions at right angles to their longitudinal extensions, the stiff ening beams protect the panels against deformation at right angles to the longitudinal extensions of the structural units.

Another way of imparting greater rigidity to the structural units of our invention is to manufacture the component parts of such units in a way to affect the crystalline structure of the metallic material. Thus, it is preferred to manufacture the panels and the stiffening beams by a cold forming process. The panels are preferably formed by deep drawing and the beams are formed by cold rolling, whereby the elastic limit of such parts is raised by 30-70 percent. When the panels are manufactured by cold forming, the ribs are preferably rather close to each other because the material of the panels then hardens not only in the zones occupied by such ribs but also in the zones between the ribs. In other words, we raise the elastic limit of the structural units not by utilizing expensive alloys but rather by cold forming the component parts of the units in such a way that the properties of such parts are improved during the manufacture thereof and that the resistance to stresses offered by the ultimate products ismuch higher than the resistance of starting material, e.g., band steel.

Corrosion-resistant plastics based on polyvinyl-chloride of the pasteor film-type in connection with respective softeners are suitable for coating of panels.

As adhesives for the roofing constructions, the twoor one-component adhesives, such as epoxyd resin, polyester etc. As well as adhesives based on synthetic caoutchouc, which are well-known in adhesive technique, are used. These adhesives must have a high adhesion to metals and plastics. They must furthermore remain permanently elastic, must not tend to brittleness, and must be aging resistant.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A structural unit, particularly for use in roofing and flooring constructions, comprising a flat rectangular panel including a single sheet of metallic material, said sheet having two longitudinal edge portions, two transverse edge portions, and a plurality of spaced elongated hollow reinforcing ribs each parallel with said transverse edge portions and each having two longitudinal ends adjacent to but spaced from the respective longitudinal edge portions, the spacing between said ribs being less than the length of a single rib; and a stiffening beam comprising an elongated web parallel with said longitudinal edge portions and consisting of a single ply of metallic sheet material, said web having a first and a second longitudinally extending marginal zone and being disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of said panel, first elongated flange means integral with one of said marginal zones and at least a portion thereof being disposed in a plane transverse to the plane of said web, at least part of one longitudinal edge portion of said panel overlying said portion of said first flange means and said first flange means being rigidly connected to said one of said longitudinal edge portions, and second elongated flange means integral with the other marginal zone of said web, said ribs and said beam cooperating to simultaneously resist torsional and bending forces to which said structural unit may be subjected.

2. A structural unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rectangular panel includes a single sheet of steel and the spacing between said ribs is in the range of between one-fourth the length of a single rib and the combined width of two ribs.

3. A structural unit as set forth in claim 1,.wherein said second flange means comprises two multi-ply flanges disposed at the opposite sides of said web.

4. A structural unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said longitudinal edge portions comprises an elongated fiange making substantially right angles with the plane of said panel, said Web of said stiffening beam being parallel with said one longitudinal edge portion, said first flange means being integral with said first marginal zone and having a'side facing away from said web and an elongated groove in said side thereof, the flange of said one longitudinal edge portion extending into said groove, and said second flange means being integral with the second marginal zone of said web, said structural unit further comprising connecting means rigidly securing the flange of said one longitudinal edge portion to said first flange means.

5. A structural unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said edge portions comprises an elongated flange projecting beyond one side of said panel, said flange of one of said transverse edge portions defining an elongated channel having an open side facing away from said beam.

(References 011 following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Tashjian 5247 4 Stresau 52483 5 Burgess et a1. 52-483 Davis 52319 Jacobson 525 10 At-twood 52-738 Ouellet 52537 10 Schumacher 52-630 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4 809,334 12/1936 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Sweets Catalog Service, Architectural File, 1956 edition, sections 2d/pL and 2d/To relied on, TH 455S8c.2.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examiner.

J. D. LISTER, R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A STRUCTURAL UNIT, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN ROOFING AND FLOORING CONSTRUCTIONS, COMPRISING A FLAT RECTANGULAR PANEL INCLUDING A SINGLE SHEET OF METALLIC MATERIAL, SAID SHEET HAVING TWO LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS, TWO TRANSVERSE EDGE PORTIONS, AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED ELONGATED HOLLOW REINFORCING RIBS EACH PARALLEL WITH SAID TRANSVERSE EDGE PORTIONS AND EACH HAVING TWO LONGITUDINAL ENDS ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM THE RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS, THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID RIBS BEING LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF A SINGLE RIB; AND A STIFFENING BEAM COMPRISING AN ELONGATED WEB PARALLEL WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS AND CONSISTING OF A SINGLE PLY OF METALLIC SHEET MATERIAL, SAID WEB HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MARGINAL ZONE AND BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID PANEL, FIRST ELONGATED FLANGE MEANS INTEGRAL WITH ONE OF SAID MARGINAL ZONES AND AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE PLANE OF SAID WEB, AT LEAST PART OF ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF SAID PANEL OVERLYING SAID PORTION OF SAID FLANGE MEANS AND SAID FIRST FLANGE MEANS BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS, AND SECOND ELONGATED FLANGE MEANS INTEGRAL WITH THE OTHER MARGINAL ZONE OF SAID WEB, SAID RIBS AND SAID BEAM COOPERATING TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RESIST TORSIONAL AND BENDING FORCES TO WHICH SAID STRUCTURAL UNIT MAY BE SUBJECTED. 